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Testimony
Pensions & Benefits
The Health Care Savings Agreement: A Look Back and a Look Forward
Testimony Submitted to the New York City Council Committees on Finance and Civil Service and Labor
November 29, 2018
Savings to health benefit expenditures are crucial to attaining labor settlements that are fair and reasonable for both City employees and taxpayers.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
Governor Cuomo Should Veto Costly Employee and Retiree Benefits
A Letter to the Governor
November 27, 2018
CBC Recommends veto of A8164-b/S3770-b, A8402-b/S6435-b, A9909/S7705, A9910/S7704, and A10735/S7933.
Blog
Economic Development
Breaking Down the Amazon HQ2 Deal:
Facts and Takeaways
November 21, 2018
Amazon has committed to creating 25,000 full-time high-paying jobs over ten years, investing approximately $2.5 billion, and building 4 million square feet of office space at its new headquarters in Long Island City, with the possibility of expanding to 8 million square feet and 40,000 jobs. To facilitate this investment, Amazon will receive benefits of up to $1.7 billion from New York State and $1.8 billion from New York City. This blog explains the incentive package provided by the State and City and offers five takeaways about the deal and its lessons for future economic development policy.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
NYC Long-term Liabilities Top $257 Billion
October 31, 2018
The City's liabilities reached a record $257.3 billion, an increase of $4.7 billion since fiscal year 2017.
Blog
State Budget
Hold Your Bets
Four Guidelines for Legalized Sports Betting in New York State
September 05, 2018
State leaders should consider these four guidelines as they decide whether and how to expand sports betting in New York.
Testimony
Economic Development
NYS ABO's Oversight and Regulation of IDAs
Testimony before the New York State Authorities Budget Office
September 04, 2018
The purpose of today’s public hearing is to discuss regulations recently proposed by the Authorities Budget Office to impose additional disclosure requirements on local industrial development agencies (IDAs).
Letter
Economic Development
Veto Ten Bills That Expand Economic Development Programs
A Letter to the Governor
August 14, 2018
The Governor should veto ten bills that would expand the State’s economic development programs. Three of the bills would expand or enrich existing programs, six bills would create a new targeted program, and one bill would create a new broad program.
Blog
Economic Development
Governor Should Reject Ten Economic Development Bills
June 25, 2018
Ten bills to expand economic development spending had been passed by both houses of the legislature and will eventually end up on the Governor’s desk to sign or veto.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Bitter Truth
Many Benefit Sweeteners Lack Required Fiscal Estimates
June 06, 2018
To date the New York State Legislature has introduced 138 bills in this session that enhance the benefits of state and local public employees. How much these bills could cost taxpayers is unknown.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Four Egregious Benefit Enhancement Bills
2018 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard Update
May 18, 2018
The 135 active bills identified on the Citizens Budget Commission’s 2018 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard this session could cost the State and local governments at least $428 million.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
A Budget Proposal That Seems Fiscally Responsible, But Doesn’t Tackle the True Problem
February 22, 2018
It's time to eliminate the expensive and risky benefits provided by the TDA.
Testimony
Economic Development
NYCEDC 2018 and Beyond: Borough-by-Borough in the Next Four Years
Testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Economic Development
February 06, 2018
How can EDC improve its performance in 2018?
Letter
Economic Development
Watchdog Groups: Freeze Business Subsidies Until Major Reforms Adopted
A Letter to the Governor and Legislative Leaders
January 18, 2018
The Governor should reject any new economic development and business subsidies until major anti-corruption and transparency reforms are put in place.
Testimony
Economic Development
Testimony on Empire Zone Program
Submitted to NY City Council Economic Development Committee
November 24, 2009
The CBC argued that the Empire Zone program's mission has been lost, the program's objectives are not measured consistently, local agencies do not hold firms accountable for the economic commitments they make, and the program is failing to meet the targets firms set when they are approved for benefits.
Testimony
Energy & Environment
Testimony on NY Power Authority Economic Development Programs
Delivered to a Joint Session of State Committees
September 23, 2009
A testimony before a number of State Senate and Assembly committees which reviews the findings of a recent CBC report on the efficacy of NYPA's economic development programs.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Commends Legislators Who Voted Against Postponing Pension Contributions
July 14, 2009
CBC commends legislators for voting against A9037/S52204, a bill that would have allowed state and local governments to postpone paying the full required annual contributions to their employee pension funds.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Encourages Legislatures to Avoid Pension Sweetener Legislation
June 02, 2009
This letter notifies the Legislature that the CBC has issued a "Pension Sweetener Scorecard" that tracks legislative and gubernatorial actions regarding pension benefits and highlights those actions for the media and the public. These sweeteners are often enacted over the objections of elected heads of local governments and always at the expense of taxpayers.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Urges the Governor to Veto a Benefit Sweetener for Police and Firefighters
May 29, 2009
This letter from the CBC urges the Governor to veto A3426/S1409, a bill that would extend Tier II provisions to all police officers and firefighters who join a public retirement system on or after July 1, 2009 to July 1, 2011.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Urges Governor Paterson to Veto Costly Mandate for Retired Teachers
May 12, 2009
This letter from the CBC urges the Governor to veto A4628, a bill that would renew the provision that prohibits school districts from reducing the health insurance benefits offered to retirees unless the changes are approved by the local teachers union.
Letter
State Budget
10 Do's and Don'ts for Spending the Federal Stimulus Funds
February 25, 2009
This letter to the Legislature warns that the federal aid to New York is limited and temporary, suggests ten do’s and don’ts for using the federal funds and closing the budget gap while avoiding harmful cuts and tax increases, and highlights possible allocation of the funds.